Dear friends,
We need your help (It looks like a lot to read but it’s actually pretty interesting).
City hall is threatening to ruin your favorite slice of brick oven pizza…. Or worse
A rule passed in 2016 by then mayor Bill DeBlasio, requires any restaurant with a brick oven built before 2016 (i.e all of your favorite brick oven pizzerias) to purchase, install and maintain expensive pieces of new equipment called chimney scrubbers. This was put in place in order to reduce particulate emissions. City hall is now considering enforcing this rule, a rule that has sat dormant for 7 years.
What you need to know:
After the covid shutdown, the crippling dining mandates, the city’s insane rent hikes and the skyrocketing cost of goods, there are less than 100 of these brick oven establishments left in all of New York City. These are some of the places that helped earn our great city the reputation for having the best pizza in the world. These ovens can no longer be built in New York, they are the last of the Mohicans.
When people think of coal, they think of billowing black smoke and soot. That kind of coal is called bituminous coal, better known as black coal. Most pizzerias (if not all) who would be affected by this rule use a power source called anthracite.
Anthracite is an energy efficient, very clean burning rock. It is primarily used for cooking and metallurgy because of its high temperatures and its stable heat output. Anthracite is typically associated with coal but is actually a metamorphic rock. All other coals come from sedimentary rock. Here’s the science: the higher the carbon content found in a rock, the cleaner it burns. Anthracite is made up of up to 98% carbon. To put that into perspective, a rock with 100% carbon content would basically be pure energy and give off zero emissions. Black coal on the other hand, at best reaches 86% carbon content. This basically means Anthracite is a whole lot cleaner and energy efficient than all other “coals.”
Even if all brick oven establishments stopped using coal, wood and anthracite, there would be no meaningful improvement to the city’s air quality.
We would be consuming even more energy running these new scrubbers all day, every day. This only increases our carbon footprint.
Small business owners will be forced to spend money that they don’t have. Some of your favorite pizza places are just getting back on their feet post covid. In order to get and stay in compliance with DeBlasio’s rule, pizzerias will have to hire lawyers, architects and engineers, apply and pay for more licensing and purchase/constantly service very expensive new equipment. Most businesses can’t afford to take all of that on. In addition, we would have to pay for the electricity needed to run these heavy machines.
Finally, there’s the potential harm to your favorite brick oven dishes. Installing these machines over the chimneys can have unintended consequences. Changing the airflow of an oven can change the way your food will cook and taste. These older ovens all have their own unique identity. This identity has a lot to do with how the heat and the hot air move around inside of the oven and chimney. Blocking or partially obstructing the air flow of these ovens WILL change the convection process.To what degree is anybody guess.
Many of these establishments have become neighborhood institutions over the years. Some have even become known around the world. The last thing these few remaining small businesses need are more expenses, red tape and potentially having what they’re known for changed and/or ruined altogether. New York’s small businesses deserve and need a win for once. We bleed, sweat and cry with this city, and we aren’t asking for that much in return.
On behalf of Don Giovanni’s and other businesses that could be impacted, we would greatly appreciate just a moment of your time. A hearing on this matter is being held by the city at the end of this month. Your signature and a short testimony (it’s quick) could make a big difference at this hearing. I’ve included some sample comments below that you can paste and copy into the petition in case you’re not the commenting type. The final date to comment on this is July 27th so it’s a bit time sensitive. Also, please share this email with other pizza lovers (that’s everybody).
SIGN PETITION HERE
Here are some sample comments:
- “Brick oven pizzerias are part of our city’s culinary heritage, and we shouldn’t let unnecessary regulations ruin their authenticity. I stand with Don Giovanni’s in opposing the enforcement of chimney scrubbers.”
- “The charm and flavor of brick oven pizza rely on the traditional cooking methods. Let’s support our local pizzerias and reject the implementation of costly and unnecessary equipment. Count me in!”
- “As a local and pizza enthusiast, I urge the city to reconsider enforcing the rule on chimney scrubbers. The impact on small businesses and the potential alteration of the authentic taste are concerns we can’t ignore.”
With alllll of that being said…
To date, it’s been an absolute honor serving you, our awesome customers. From the first timers all the way to our regulars and staff, a lot of great memories and friendships have been made by a lot of great people over the years at Don Giovanni’s pizza. Cheers to many more together. Thanks again,
The Don Giovanni Family
